AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As Agatha cleaned up after the bagel sandwich, wiping her mouth with her napkin, she asked, “And? Have you heard from our Sophie lately?”
Katrina’s stomach tied itself into knots.
“I told you I haven’t seen her since last Christmas, Mom,” Katrina said. She knew her mother was bringing this up just to dig her nose in it—to remind her she’d failed as a mother. “Have you been over to see Ida’s baby lately?”
Agatha’s eyes shimmered with the memory of her first great-granddaughter. “She’s a doll, isn’t she?” Her smile melted. “But don’t you think Sophie’s out there somewhere? Getting into trouble? We need to go find her, Kat. We need to bring her home.”
Katrina’s heart felt bruised. She wrapped the remaining bagel in the foil and shoved it into the paper bag.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Katrina said. “Let’s keep walking, shall we? We have to meet Norm in a few hours.”
Katrina’s youngest daughter, Sophie, was a nightmare. At fourteen or fifteen, she’d begun drinking and using drugs. Katrina was the only one who knew—a fact that had become a tumor, growing ever bigger. Because Sophie was a high-functioning addict (if Katrina really wanted to use that term, which she didn’t), she managed to pull off good grades throughout high school. Immediately after high school, however, she left the island. She’d disappeared. And Katrina had nightmares almost daily about where she’d ended up.
Over Christmas, Katrina had begged Sophie to come back home so she could keep an eye on her. But Sophie had scoffed. Of this, Grant had said, “She’s trying to find her own way.” But Grant didn’t know about the drugs.
On the walk toward Broadway, where Norm was set to perform that evening, Agatha brought up Katrina’s father for the tenth time that afternoon.
“He would have given anything to see Norm perform like this,” she said dreamily. “He was so proud of his boy, you know.”
“I know, Mom,” Katrina said.
Calvin had been dead for three years. When he’d been alive, he hadn’t mentioned Norm’s profession aloud once, not since Norm had left the island more than twenty years ago. News of his success hadn’t thrilled Calvin in the least. He knew his friends talked ill of him because Norm was an actor rather than an accountant or a doctor. Norm knew this, too. He’d made appearances at numerous Christmases and Thanksgivings, but not all of them. And now that he was married, he didn’t come to the island as often.
Katrina and Agatha reached the theater at four thirty that afternoon. Almost immediately, Norm breezed out in a pair of slacks, a trench coat, and big Aviator sunglasses. He looked sleek and sophisticated. Katrina threw her arms around him, overwhelmed with love and pride for her older brother. Norm kissed Agatha on the cheek and blinked down at her as though seeing their mother in the big city was strange.
“You’re here!” he announced.
“We made it in one piece,” Katrina said with a laugh.
Norm led them to a place called Junior’s, where they bought cappuccinos and big, New York-style cheesecakes. Agatha’s eyes were enormous. She dug her fork into the end of her cheesecake with more passion than most children to candy. When Agathaexcused herself to the bathroom, Norm caught Katrina’s eyes over the table.
“I can’t believe you got her off the island,” he said.
“Me neither.” Katrina laughed. “She complained on the entire drive here.”
“I’m not surprised. That’s our mother.”
Katrina set down her fork. “How are you feeling, Norm? Everything is about to change for you! Again!”
“Change is inevitable,” Norm said. “I’m tired of the city. I’m tired of being so cold! California is calling my name.” He bowed his head. “Just a few more months.”
Silence spilled over the table. Katrina was terrified that she and her brother no longer had anything to say to one another. He was too “artistic” now, maybe. She was too “small town.”
“You know, Mom talks about Dad all the time,” she explained. “But her version of him isn’t the one I remember.”
Norm chuckled sadly. “I’ve noticed that. When I call, she tells me every time that Dad would be proud of me. I don’t have the heart to correct her.”
“Well, I’m proud of you,” Katrina blurted. “I can’t shut up about you sometimes.”
Norm waved his hand. All the color drained from his cheeks. “And? How are your daughters doing?” He stuttered slightly.
Katrina sucked the air from her cheeks. “Ida just had a baby.”
“Wonderful.”
“And Sophie?” Katrina picked back up her fork and drew lines into her cheesecake. Tears sprung to her eyes. “Sophie has gone the way of Dad, I think.”
Norm furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
